I am appalled at the code enforcement commies that patrol Gilbert!! They went too far this time!!
Here, read this article while I compose myself:
~~~Banished! City forbids Bible studies in homes~~~
This letter will serve as a 10-day written notice to quit such use'
Posted: March 13, 201012:20 am Eastern
By Bob Unruh© 2010 WorldNetDaily
The city of Gilbert, Ariz., has ordered a group of seven adults to stop gathering for Bible studies in a private home because such meetings are forbidden by the city's zoning codes. The issue was brought to a head when city officials wrote a letter to a pastor and his wife informing them they had 10 days to quit having the meetings in their private home. The ban, however, prompted a response from the Alliance Defense Fund, which filed an appeal with the city as the first step in its campaign to overturn a provision it describes as illegal.
"The interpretation and enforcement of the town's code is clearly unconstitutional, " said Daniel Blomberg, a member of the litigation team for ADF. "It bans 200,000 Gilbert residents from meeting in their private homes for organized religious purposes – an activity encouraged in the Bible, practiced for thousands of years, and protected by the First Amendment." The appeal was filed on behalf of the members, all seven, of the Oasis of Truth Church. Pastor Joe Sutherland had been told in a letter from code compliance officer Steve Wallace that the people were not allowed to meet in a home for church activities under the city's Land Development Code.
There had been no complaints about the meetings, which had been rotating among members' homes before the officer wrote the letter and ordered the group to "terminate all religious meetings … regardless of their size, nature or frequency," because he noticed signs about the meetings.
"The assembly activities associated with the church, including Bible studies, church leadership meetings and church fellowship activities are not permitted," wrote Mike Milillo, the city's senior planner. "This ban is defended based upon traffic, parking, and building safety concerns. However, nothing in its zoning code prevents weekly Cub Scouts meetings, Monday Night Football parties with numerous attendees or large business parties from being held on a regular basis in private homes," the ADF said.
The few adults in the church had met for a few hours weekly in members' homes. The ADF argues such bans violate the Constitution's free-exercise clause, and even the state's Free Exercise of Religion Act protects such meetings. Further, the restrictions imposed by the city violate the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which grants significant authority for churches to pursue their ministry goals. Finally, Blomberg said, "the First Amendment's free-speech clause prevents the town from stopping the church from holding its meetings on the public sidewalk outside the pastor's home, yet the town won't allow him to hold the same meetings just a few feet away in the privacy of his own living room." The small church has been forced to halt its regular meetings. It meets now in a local school but only can afford the rental once a week. A spokeswoman for the city of Gilbert told WND city officials were aware of the concern and planned to address it. Vice Mayor Linda Abbott told WND the code apparently was adopted years earlier, and there was considerable concern on the city council because of the current issues. "I'm not in favor of that code. That is something we would want revisited," she said. WND reported a similar situation in San Diego County. In that case, officials eventually withdrew a warning letter and a cease-and-desist order they had issued against a pastor who had been holding a weekly Bible study in his home. "I want to offer my apology to you, your wife and your congregation for the unfortunate events of the past several weeks," said the letter from Walter F. Ekard, chief officer of the county. "My review of the situation shows that no administrative citation warning should have been issued and that a major use permit is not required for the Bible study you have in your home." ~~~~
NOW I know that was long winded but SERIOUSLY we plan to bust this citation in the knee caps and protest it at the next town council meeting!!
This is not right!! If you can't believe it, here is a pict of the citation:
Your truly??? Really??!!
I am so disgusted!! Such an interpretation of the sloppy thrown-together zoneing law is POINTLESS at best and WHOLLY against the law, discriminatory against religion, and threatens to revoke our God given rights to worship God in our own homes!!
SHAME ON YOU STEVE WALLACE AND MIKE MILILLO!!!
My own family is consisting of also 7 people gathering to worship God...
I guess our FAMILY HOME EVENING IS ILLEGAL??
WHAT THE....*!*
The boy scouts and girl scouts who pledge thier duty to GOD every meeting weekly in homes across Gilbert (in numbers sometimes greater than 7 ~*wink*~) are engaged in "religious fellowship activities" and must be taken down????
The best part--->WE USE SIGNS OUTSIDE OUR HOMES TO RECRUIT MORE KIDS!!!
Isn't this just a travesty? We used a sign and had a religious gathering!! We must be criminals!!
**And PLEASE don't run me the line about fire code and parking because I see HUNDREDS of signs and driving/parking issues for GARAGE SALES every saturday!!! **
Now all nastymess aside, I realize that this was just a poorly constructed development law being blow up by a terrible interpretation all in the innocently enough sounding name of parking and fire code but HELLO Gilbert!!! This is where we stand up and say "guess what, these are OUR LAWS, We have the power to enact change!! We, the PEOPLE, will not stand by while a code enforcer goes to far."
When having a small peaceful gathering at your home in the name of God, Buddha, Alla or heck Felix the Cat becomes illegal, that's UNCONSTITUTIONAL!! Remember this little teeny tiny little thing called the first amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
boy I sure do!
Regardless of how you feel on this subject rest assured I will get to the bottom of it and if I owe someone an apology so be it... I will give it. I will lovingly call them up on the phone or greet them face to face!
However, if I'm every bit as right as this reads and then some, I'll tell you where you can join me to voice your protest!!
If you would like to read the informal emails the Sutherlands have received from Mike Milillo which further prove the validity of this argument as being malicious in nature please tell me and I'll send them to you!!
Even after Milillo's cold and dare I say rude review the TOWN of Gilbert STILL has not dropped the fines against the Sutherlands!!
I'm very interested to see what our MAYOR will say on this....
6 comments:
What’s interesting is that Table 2.103: Land Use Regulation – Single Family Residential Districts (revised 4/27/06) that Mr. Wallace sent to Pastor Sutherland, doesn’t specifically address “bible studies.” In Mr. Mallilo’s Zoning Interpretation, he makes the leap to ban bible studies, using his own “professional judgment.”
I sincerely feel Mr.Malillo that your goose is about to be cooked!!
you know what is awesome? when i saw this on the news, i thought this EXACT same thing! They said on the news they had like 6-9 people in the home on a once a week basis...im like..uh more Mormon families are bigger then that doing it every Monday night! Arrest us! shut us DOWN!
Fire them both...Immediately!
The Courts will be quick to call this City Ordinance - Unconstitutional - they do it everyday. Just because some Hayseed-City Counsel made a dumb law - doesn't mean any Prosecutors or Officers will enforce it. If they do, the Courts will likely find it Unconstitutional - then a civil law suit will follow. This means the City of Gilbert will be out some money for electing such morons in the first place. And, remember "not to KILL the messenger" (Mike Wallace). He works for the morons who thought this one up. The Alliance Defense Fund (civil rights attorneys) is that organization set up (with money) to sue Gilbert and the morons passing ordinances like this.
Usually I would never shoot the messanger, Unfortunatly out of sheer over kill I decided to leave out the bit I wrote on Steve Wallace. He has many a pastor on his belt notches and spoke out against organized religion to one of them, a Mr. Geesey. Because that is hearsay I left it out however, Tres and I have delt with him on a few occasions and have found him to be every bit the so and so jerk he is painted to be. I consider him as a large part of why Gilbert has been pegged as "unfriendly to small buisnesses".
ps. Tres wrote the comment "Fire them both Immediately" not me.
I'd rather a huge inquiry dive in exposing all those who are truly & honestly to blame.
I was happy it finally made the news as we have been going around and around on this subject with my dad for a good week.
At first, I was skeptical about it so before I was willing to write about it I asked for him to hunt down all the details and get me the ticket and facts.
Things like this have been going on for some time and pastors have rolled over and taken it to be "law abiding".
Finally, as we knew he would someday, Mr.Wallace took his distain for religion too far and made a hunting expidition that will soon find him at the other end of his own implement!
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